Bedtime Story
by Toki Hasegara
Summary: Serenity is telling a bedtime story, a story of a past that seems to have almost been forgotten, but remains an important memory that has guided her heart and mind.
1. Tell me a story

**Disclaimer: SailorMoon and it's characters do not belong to me. SailorMoon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, and any original characters that are similar to people in real life is purely coincidental.**

**Note: Some of the character names may vary. I'm not sure which names are commonly used so I used the ones that I was familiar with. I also purposely altered some names. If I am wrong anywhere, please feel free to correct my mistake by leaving a comment in the review section. If you also do not understand something, don't be afraid to contact me for clarification. It is much appreciated... ****-Toki **

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**Tell Me a Story**

_Knock Knock. _A soft rapping sound erupted from the silence of the night. The thin blonde figure that lay still on the bed, woke to the sound and rubbed the sleep away from her eyes. Resting her eyes on the door, it slowly opened and a small figure's face appeared in the crack.

"May I enter Her Majesty's quarters?" The small figure pipped up, her pink hair toussled in waves that surrounded her delicate young face. Her eyes wide with plea, and her right hand clutching a small rabbit stuff toy, she looked at the blonde figure in anticipation.

The blonde figure gestured for the little girl to enter, and said in reply, "Yes you may Small Lady. What seems to be the problem?". Patting the space on the bed beside her, the Small Lady curtisied to her and did apporach.

"Mommy, I couldn't sleep." With her head resting on her mothers lap, Small Lady stroked her rabbit stuff toy and lay silent.

_The blonde figure on the bed, is none other than Princess Serenity of the Moon. The little girl who's head is resting on her lap is her daughter Chibiusa, otherwise known as the Small Lady. The two were lying down in the Princess' majestic four-poster bed with no one around them but the silence of the castle grounds on the night of a full moon._

Princess Serenity smiled and started stroking her daughter's hair. "Is that what is troubling you my dear? Do you want me to tell you a little bedtime story? When you were little, I would tell you bedtime stories every night."

"Yes please. I'd love that very much." Small Lady replied, still keeping her head rested on her mothers lap. She closed her eyes and waited for her mother to begin the story.

"Give me a moment to think. Okay, here's one story about a young girl who was lost..." Princess Serenity continued, still stroking Small Lady's hair, yet her eyes were staring out the window. Her thoughts lay elsewhere, her mind drifting to memories of the past and of her childhood.

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_A dark figure, with raven-hair sat at the corner of the room unnoticed. His gaze rested upon the 2 females on the bed, his mouth curled up in a quiet smile. He had been there for quite some time, watching the princess' sleeping figure and turning his attention to the door when Small Lady had come in. He said nothing as he continued to watch the princess, noticing that her gaze was turned towards a lovely green and blue planet that lay beyond their own._

_The figure then turned his attention to the same green and blue planet that the princess was gazing at. And as he stared into the depths of the lush beauty that the planet did hold, his mind intently listening to the princess' story, he also drifted back into his memories._

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**Thank You! Please don't be afraid to give any kind of review. I look forward to any comments that may help improve my writing.**


	2. Ch 1: Attempted escape in the dark night

**Disclaimer: SailorMoon and it's characters do not belong to me. SailorMoon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, and any original characters that are similar to people in real life is purely coincidental. **

**Note: Some of the character names may vary. I'm not sure which names are commonly used so I used the ones that I was familiar with. I also purposely altered some names. If I am wrong anywhere, please feel free to correct my mistake by leaving a comment in the review section. If you also do not understand something, don't be afraid to contact me for clarification. It is much appreciated...**

**-Toki aka Christa**

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**Chapter 1:**

**Attempted escape in the dark night**

_In the dark of night, a small blonde figure was seen running across the grounds. The bright moon reflected her figure unto the lake. She seemed to be running from a small mansion in the countryside. With nothing but a small bag containing a few valuables, such as some clothes, food to last for a few days and a silver locket with a moon encrested into it; she had nearly escaped. She had almost reached the gate when a voice from behind surprised her..._

"You won't escape here Serena." the dashing figure with snow-white hair announced. He was a mere teenager, and she was only 3 years younger than him at 11, yet this tall figure scared the hell out of her. "My father took you in when you were lost. We've given you food, shelter, clothes and a good education; and we have asked nothing in return." The figures' face revealed a small smug smile as he sat atop the majestic black horse.

Serena clutched her bag closer to her as she stared into the eyes of this figure. She looked angrily at him, her eyes seething with loathing for this man that stood in front of her. "You're a poor liar, Diamond! Your father only wants one thing from me, and that is that I be your future wife!"

"That is that too..and so?" Diamond gave Serena a small shrug. He loved her most when she was in her rebellious state, the look in her eyes was the thing he adored most. Even when there lay no hope for her, that look of determination in her face made her beauty shine through even more. "Father is waiting at the mansion. This is your 3rd try to escape since the start of the year, why not just give up?" Diamond gave his sinister signature laugh.

"I will never give..." Serena was cut off when Diamond suddenly dismounted his horse, and started towards her. She began backing away till she reached the gate that enclosed the mansion. All she had to do was climb, but doing so would mean that her back would be exposed to Diamond, and that was a risk she wasn't willing to take.

Out of the blue, Diamond grabbed Serena's arm and pulled her towards him. When she was close enough, he crushed his lips against hers in a futile attempt to stop her from struggling.

_Smack! _Serena slapped his face with her free arm.

Not the least surprised, Diamond let go and carried Serena towards the horse, placing her in front and securing her in place while he sat behind her. "Let's go back to the mansion. Father will deal with you when we get there." He gave a small smile and with that, they headed back to the mansion.

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Upon reaching the entry way, Diamond dismounted and turned to help Serena dismount. Reluctant as she was to go back, she had no other choice.

"Father will be waiting for you in the library, as always." Diamond said with a smile. In his mind, all he could think of was the long lecture that his father would again be giving Serena.

Serena was headed towards the library when Diamond said this. She whirled around to face him and stuck out her tongue, before she again turned and began walking towards the library. Diamond on the other hand, blew her a kiss before heading up the stairs and towards his room.

_Outside the library door, the blonde girl held her breathe, afraid of what awaited her at the other side. Countless times in the past, she had been scolded. There were even instances that she was beaten with a stick; but it only happened when the master of the house was drunk, and he'd only beat her a couple of times to ensure that he left no bruises. Yet as she began to mature, the master started treating her differently. The last time she had tried to escape and she had gotten a lecture, she noticed a weird gleam in his eyes._

_Some of the maids whispered around her, afraid to make friends with the destined "lady-of-the-house". Yet her cheerful attitude proved useful and she had indeed made many friends. Yet the rumors of the masters' sexual molestations had not gone unheard. Serena wasn't sure what the consquences of such actions were, since she was still a naive little girl; yet she had this feeling that it was something that she wasn't good for her._

Serena held her breathe once again before she rapped on the door.

A voice from the inside called out, "You may enter." There at the head of the desk sat the master of the house.

_One wouldn't think the master was quite old since his hair was as dark as the night, and he looked young for someone who was already 45 years old. The master of the house, Lord Dius was what one would call in his time, a healthy man. He had quite a number of horses, and loved to enter them into races. He was also quite a rider, and well-known in the region. It would be too obvious to state that Diamond inherited his riding skills from his own father._

_Lord Dius was also a sought-after man, being wealthy and all, women flocked to him. He had slept with quite a few women. Nobility adored him, yet those who worked at his mansion feared him, especially when he was drunk. Lord Dius did drink a lot, with friends or by himself; he was known to drink a lot even when he couldn't hold his liquor._

As Serena gazed at this man who was her master, she could not help but keep a distance from him. She did not doubt that Diamond would look exactly as he was years from now. Diamond and Lord Dius were exact replicas, exept for the snow-white hair that he had inherited from his mother who had passed away when he was young. And knowing that, the more she had feared Lord Dius, for there he sat gazing at her and smiling.

"Come closer Serena." he called out, pointing to the large chair that lay in front of his large desk.

Serena slowly approached the chair, facing the ground as she did. She did not dare look him in the eye, for fear of what he may say or do. She moved closer to the chair, a step at a time. She was near the largely domineering chair, when she suddenly tripped on the carpet. Her clumsiness got the better of her and she fell face down.

Lord Dius quickly rushed to her side, helping the young klutzy woman up. As he assisted the obviously-embarassed Serena, he couldn't help but give a smile and laugh.

Serena's fear soon increased as Lord Dius led her to the chair, and sat opposite her.

"Now Serena," Lord Dius began, "how long will you continue to try and escape? Haven't I been a kind and generous person towards you." Lord Dius steadily held Serena's gaze as he put his hand over hers and began stroking it.

Serena was already at the verge of crying when he stopped stroking her hand. She looked at him with her innocent eyes and saw kind eyes looking at her. For a second, she thought that she was being fooled by a handsome face. Yet, Lord Dius looked as if he had no intention of doing anything to her, but was merely trying to calm her down. She smiled, in hopes that it would help release the fear she had bottled inside.

And as Serena smiled, Lord Dius continued talking. "I want us to be friends Serena, because I know that you would make a fine wife for my son. Stop this nonsense of escaping. I have given you everything, and have yet more to give as well." He stood up, and walked over to the large window that overlooked the grounds. Pointing towards it, he said, "This is what more I can give you. Marrying Diamond would make you lady over all of this, all this land, all that we have, and it would also make you one of the most respected ladies in the land."

Serena sat silent, contemplating on the words of her master.

"I want you to think this over, Serena. Think of everything that I have done for you over the years since I found you lost in the city. What better way to repay my kind deeds than to become lady of this mansion. I think you've got the better end of the deal, don't you?" And with that, he waved her off, done with what he had to say.

Serena quietly bowed before exiting the large room. She turned to the right and began walking through the dark hallway until she had reached a flight of stairs. She quietly alighted the stairs, and walked forward till she had reached a mahogany door. Opening it, and entering, she gazed at what awaited her. She had never been treated poorly, and neither was she treated like a servant. She was given a large room, with a beautiful white canopy bed, and a dresser full of beautiful clothes. She had a very good education, considering that she was tutored by the best of the best. What more could she ask for.

Somewhere down below, Lord Dius picked up a glass and poured himself some champagne. And smiling to himself as he gazed outside the window and into the darkness he thought, _'Yes, what better way to repay me then to make our family known throughout history'._

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**Thank you for waiting for me as I wrote this chapter. I've been planning out the next few chapters, which took up some of my time. I've also been re-editing my other fanfictions, which kept me up on most nights. I hope you like what I've written.**

**Please REVIEW, I want to hear your comments and suggestions on the story. Thanks! -toki**


	3. Ch 2: Red Rose Dreams

**Disclaimer: SailorMoon and its characters do not belong to me. SailorMoon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, and any original characters that are similar to people in real life is purely coincidental.**

**Note: Some of the character names may vary. I also purposely altered some names. If I am wrong anywhere, please feel free to correct my mistake by leaving a comment in the review section, or sending me a personal message. If you also do not understand something, don't be afraid to contact me for clarification. It is much appreciated...**

**-Toki**

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**Chapter 2: **

**Red Rose Dreams**

Serena woke up the same way she did everyday. The sun streamed through her window, and despite the aftermath of last night's attempted escape, everything seemed as peaceful as it usually was. It was probably half past 8, the same time she woke up every single day.

The servant girl who was assigned to wake her up still hadn't arrived, as usual. Serena thought it really unnecessary since she woke up on her own, half an hour before she was _expected _to wake up. She had tried to dissuade the girl from going to her room to wake her up every morning but the girl had refused, saying that it was part of her job and that if she didn't, Lord Dius would have her punished. It was as if he was making an excuse to check up on her, just to make sure that she was still there every morning.

While trying to pass the time, Serena took the time to water the plants she had newly planted in the pots on her window sill. She had wanted to plant roses but since it was impossible, she had tried to plant sunflowers and instead plucked a red rose from the garden every so often, and placed it in a beautiful vase on her table. After that morning ritual, she proceeded to the water basin placed on her vanity table and carefully washed her face as she did so every morning. It was then that she noticed the dark circles under her eyes.

She hadn't had them in a long time. She remembered, it was only when the nightmares came. She didn't know why, but they haunted her for a few nights, then they'd go away, only to return months later. The weird thing is that she never actually remembered what the dreams were about, only that she would toss and turn in the night and that at times, she'd wake up out of breath as if she had been running.

Most of the time, the only thing that she'd remember were red roses. Then it struck her, her nightmares started when Diamond's mother had asked her husband to plant red roses in the garden. Diamond's mother had seen them flourishing in the royal palace and had asked if she could have some of her own. Diamond hated them with all his heart, he detested the color, but his mother had prodded and his father finally agreed. Of course, that was before Diamond's mother had died. When she died, his father decided to keep them to make it seem like he wanted something to remember her by, despite Diamond's arguments.

It was when the roses had grown that Serena started having the nightmares. She couldn't recall why, but she had loved the roses almost instantaneously. It was if they reminded her of something she had long forgotten. She never remembered seeing them when she was younger, but she could slightly recall being given roses when she was younger. _Odd, wasn't it?_

It was then that a knock on the door jolted Serena back into reality.

"Lady Serena?" a quiet voice meekly called out from the door.

"Come in." Serena took note that it was another new servant girl. Her old one probably got transferred because Lord Dius thought she had aided Serena in escaping. She took pity on the new girl who looked so frightened and nervous around her. She was probably new at the estate and hadn't gotten used to working in such an atmosphere.

"I was assigned to wake you up mi'lady, but is seems you have already awoken."

"It seems that I have." Serena chuckled. She wanted to explain to this new girl that it was unnecessary to wake her up, but sheer fatigue willed her not to do so.

"Would you be needing anything else Lady Serena? Breakfast will be served in 30 minutes." The small girl piped up again, wanting to do something lest she be punished.

"Oh." Serena replied, cured from her dazed state. "I'm quite fine really. You need not tend to me. I'm sure I can make my way downstairs when the smell of delicious food starts wafting into the room."

The servant girl gave a small giggle, but soon realized her mistake and hurriedly ran for the door, bowing out a small _farewell _to Serena before quickly shutting the door behind her.

Serena then returned to her vanity table and took out a brush, sat herself squarely on the chair and proceeded to comb her hair before arranging it into small buns atop both sides of her head. She made sure they were securely knotted before adorning them with small red ribbons. Afterwards, she proceeded to the closet and took out a plain white dress which she quickly changed into.

She then smoothed out the ruffles and headed for the door, ready to face whatever disaster awaited her downstairs.

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Walking slowly towards the dining hall, Serena readied herself for whatever situation she might have to deal with, especially after last night's attempted escape. She stood straight and with a confident air, entered the room.

Lord Dius and Diamond were seated at the breakfast table. While Diamond's plate was still with food, indicating that he had arrived not long before she had, his father's plate was about empty which meant that he probably had another meeting to rush off to soon.

"Good morning Serena." Lord Dius gave his usual greeting, motioning for Serena to seat at her usual place across from Diamond and beside him. She gave a short bow, replying to his greeting.

"I will expect you to stay within the grounds today, even after your lessons, especially after last night's escapade. You will have your usual morning lessons with your tutor today, then you will have the afternoon to do as you wish, as long as you do not leave here."

Serena gave a curt nod but tried to show that she was not sorry for what she had done last night.

"Today", Lord Dius continued, "I will be in town to discuss some important matters with the councilors. We will be preparing for a festival next week, in honor of the arrival of a prince from the neighboring country. He is on his way to the Capital to visit the Queen and will be staying for a week to tend to some things. I expect good behavior from you. Do well and I will allow you to visit the festival grounds."

Serena gave another curt nod as servants came to serve her breakfast.

"Father, shall I accompany you to town then?" Diamond asked from across the table, his sudden involvement in their conversation surprising Serena who knew that Diamond would never offer to help anyone.

"No need Diamond" replied Lord Dius, not the least bit surprised by his offer. "Tend to your lessons and keep watch over Serena and the mansion today." And with that, he stood up and left, leaving Diamond and Serena alone in the hall.

"I think we shall have a pleasant morning Serena." Diamond said to Serena, pertaining to their shared morning tutorial for the week.

She loathed the shared tutorials they had together. Diamond's leering eyes stared at her throughout the morning. Even when they were taking down notes and doing other things, she could feel his eyes on her, her back constantly feeling chilly. It seemed as if the morning would go on forever.

Their tutor lectured on about literature and history, art and languages, among other things. He dictated the lesson while going about the study, never paying heed to how the 'young master' spent his time, as long as Diamond produced good results for his father to appreciate and paid him – the tutor, well.

As soon as the Church in the distance rang the noon bell, Serena excused herself and with a book she had borrowed from the study early on in the morning, she ran to the safe confines of her room and locked the door behind her.

Finally, she was safe from Diamond's prying eyes.

Serena ran to the window and threw it open, welcoming in the fresh air that removed all stuffy feelings she had built up in those last few hours with Diamond. She could smell the wind and the flowers around her. It was such a comfortable feeling. After a while, she remembered the book in her hand and went to her bed to begin glancing it over.

It was an old book, but Serena's new discovery. She had found it hidden between old, boring and stuffy books, as if someone was trying to hide it but hadn't done a really good job of doing so. She had noticed the title, "Wonderful Landscapes and Lands". It was a book about the various lands in their country, and how some large estates (like Lord Dius's) were divided into their existing positions. There were small paintings about the layout of the land, like where rivers and mountains existed. It included detailed descriptions about the beautiful things one can find on certain estates.

Serena had gotten to the part about the castle in the Capital. It was, without a doubt, the most beautiful place in all the land. The book described it as being a very happy place, always busy and bright with the smiles of the people. Even though it was a bit off topic, the author decided to include how the Queen helped the people to grow wonderful vegetation on their land. The happy Queen also loved having the smell of nature around her and grew wonderful flowers on the land.

Where there were suppose to be small paintings of the Capital and the castle, as if trying to put on paper the beauty the book described, there was only evidence of a few pages being torn off. Serena did not notice this at all though, as she had fallen asleep to the sweet smell off whatever it was flowing into her room from the outside.

As she slept and dreamt, Serena could vaguely hear someone's laughter, and smell the strong scent of a hundred roses surrounding her. And then, she smiled.

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**Finally, after around 4 years of not updating this fanfiction, I've finally updated with one chapter. Probably, a lot of you want to kill me now for taking so long to update. Haha, I'd probably want to kill myself too for taking so long. I'd had a lot of things going on for the past 4 years – mainly 'cause of university. But now that I'm well, a graduate and am currently unemployed, I will hopefully find the time and the inspiration to write more.**

**Thanks for your continuing support and I hope to hear your comments/reviews in regard to this new chapter.**

**-Toki**


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